The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-26
KILLINa A PET ELEpHANT.
He Twined His Trunk Affectionately
Round His Keeper and Died.

he IW1n61 HIS 11ACSNACAAesOO1S
Round His Keeper and Died.
A Boston dispatch to tine New York
World says: Bijou, the great pet elephant
who has for two years been on exhibition in
the Worlds Museum on Washington street
and previously was resident of the Central
Park nenagerie in New York, was given
poison last night. This animal is the Oldest
and had been in captivity longer than any
elephant ever on exhibition. Bijou has
been in this country for sixty years, and
while he is known to be 70 years old the
Probabilities are that he was born nearly
100 years ago. Recently he had suffered
greatly from old age, and his efforts TO
stand up and receive cakes and candies from
visitors at the museum as he used to were
painful in the extreme. In the last two
weeks his massive legs refused to support
the weight of his huge body, and his at
tempts to respond to the call of his old
trainer were very affecting. He would try
to raise himself on his knees and then, reach
ing his trunk towards his keeper, the huge
beast would settle back AMI moan.
The old elephant had also lost his appetite
and was growing thin. He found it hard
to sleep, and lay awake nights groaning
and in such evident pain that it was decided
rated with powerful poison was given BIZ
jou after the museum closed last night and
in forty-fve minutes the beast twined his
trunk affectionately around his keeper and
died Bijou's body will be buried in an under
ground air-tight vat until decomposition is
complete This will require some nine
months, after which the bones will be sep
arated, bleached and then prepared, and in
another month the skeleton will be placed
~, axbibitio,, Of tho Worlds MY,co,,yY1
Bijou was an African elephant. Sixty
years ago he came to this country, since
which time he had Travelled with nearly
every circus on the road. Twenty times, it
is said, his ownership changed hands, and
with each stranded show poor Bijou would
get new master. When a youngster he
was owned by London tavern keeper who
exhibited him with pair of immense goril-
las in his tavern, and from there he drifted
across the Continent. When but an infant
Prince Albert of England rode him and
made him a pet but his after life was not
SO pleasant.
In 1910 he visited Germany with prom
inent Snowman and tramped back and forth
throughout the world until 1878 and 1874,
when he was an attraction in the Great
Eastern circus. Then 0. P. Older, we'll
known circus sman, purchased him, and
later Bob Frier, an equestrian with Bar
NUNS circus, broke him to tricks.
Bijou then went to California, and at last
drifted back to New York. On the way
home, in crossing bridge Bijou refused,
after trying the planking, to make the pass
age. His keepers, it is claimed, goaded him
on, he took a few more steps and plunged
through the rotten boards, spraining his
ankle, and since then he has never been him
self.
While in the Central Park menagerie in
New York the agent of the Worlds Mu-
scum bought him. That was two years ago,
and until within three weeks Biiou was
never off his feet even to lie down. He was
considered one of the best trick elephants
IN the country. He played five tunes on the
harp, played the harmolica, stood ON his
head aud did the housekeeping business for
the circus with all the intelligence of his ma
ture. During his sickness he has been fed
largely on fruit, and days allowance in
cluded two dozen oranges, twelve loaves of
bread; 80 pounds Of hay, half bushel of
grain and bucket of shorts.
Bijou was valued at $4,000 and was
probably better known throughout this
country than any elephant ever on exhibit
zion